Drinking water filter with integral self-disinfecting delivery system

ABSTRACT

An aspect of the present invention is generally directed toward an appliance that includes a water source inlet that receives intake water from a water source and a water outlet proximate a water dispensing location on a door of the appliance in fluid communication with one another via one or more water conduits spaced within the appliance. The appliance also includes a removable water filter and dispenser assembly configured to be removably engaged and disengaged with the water outlet of the appliance by hand without the use of tools. The removable water filter and dispenser assembly includes: (1) a housing that includes at least one water treatment media; and (2) a treated water dispensing outlet configured to deliver water treated by the at least one water treatment media for use or consumption.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.13/832,052, filed on Mar. 15, 2013, entitled “DRINKING WATER FILTER WITHINTEGRAL SELF-DISINFECTING DELIVERY SYSTEM,” the entire disclosure ofwhich is hereby incorporated herein by reference.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Water filters 1 are commonly used in connection with an appliance 10.Typically, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the filters 2 are accessed andpositioned within the upper right of the interior of an appliance 3 andaccessed by opening an access door at the bottom of the appliance 4.Water lines, typically from a municipal water source or well, feed afilter head assembly that receives the filter 2, the untreated waterpasses through the filter and is treated by the filter and subsequentlydelivered via fluid conduits 5 in the appliance to the filtered water'spoint of use. One such point of use is a water dispenser 6 on the frontof the refrigerator. These water filters are often activated carboncontaining water filters that typically remove chlorine, other ions andother components that prevent bacteria in the water. However, theremoval of the chlorine and similar components prior to the dispensingand use potentially allows for the build-up of bio-film and otherbacteria within the water lines that deliver the filtered water to thedispenser thereby causing a “flat,” “stale” or “off-taste” for some whotaste water from these sources, including the water dispenser, faucet orice maker.

These and other features, advantages, and objects of the presentinvention will be further understood and appreciated by those skilled inthe art by reference to the following specification, claims, andappended drawings.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An aspect of the present invention is generally directed toward anappliance that includes a water source inlet that receives intake waterfrom a water source and a water outlet proximate a water dispensinglocation on a door of the appliance in fluid communication with oneanother via one or more water conduits spaced within the appliance. Theappliance also includes a removable water filter and dispenser assemblyconfigured to be removably engaged and disengaged with the water outletof the appliance by hand without the use of tools. The removable waterfilter and dispenser assembly includes: (1) a housing having at leastone side wall, a top, and a bottom defining an interior volume; a wateroutlet engagement system that fluidly engages the removable water filterand dispenser assembly and the water outlet in a fluid tight manner andconfigured to allow water received from the water outlet into engagementwith one or more water treatment media spaced within the interior volumeof the housing; and (2) a treated water dispensing outlet, which istypically integral with the housing, configured to deliver water treatedby the at least one water treatment media for use or consum ption.

Yet another aspect of the present invention is generally directed to amethod of filtering water being dispensed from an appliance andperiodically replacing a water filter of the appliance and a waterdispensing outlet of the appliance comprising the steps of: installing,a first removable water filter and dispenser assembly into fluidengagement with a water outlet of an appliance proximate a waterdispensing location on the door of the appliance by hand without the useof tools that includes: a housing having at least one side wall, a top,and a bottom defining an interior volume; a water outlet engagementsystem that fluidly engages the removable integral water filter anddispenser assembly and the water outlet in a fluid tight manner andconfigured to allow water received from the water outlet into engagementwith one or more water treatment media spaced within the interior volumeof the housing; and a treated water dispensing outlet; filtering anddispensing water for consumption by a user of the appliance through thetreated water dispensing outlet for a period of time using the firstremovable water filter and dispenser assembly; disengaging the firstremovable water filter and dispenser assembly by hand and without theuse of tools; and installing a second removable water filter anddispenser assembly into fluid engagement with the water outlet of theappliance proximate a water dispensing location on the door of theappliance by hand without the use of tools wherein the second removablewater filter and dispenser assembly that includes: a housing having atleast one side wall, a top, and a bottom defining an interior volume; awater outlet engagement system that fluidly engages the removableintegral water filter and dispenser assembly and the water outlet in afluid tight manner and configured to allow water received from the wateroutlet into engagement with one or more water treatment media spacedwithin the interior volume of the housing; and a treated waterdispensing outlet.

Another aspect of the present invention includes a removable andintegral water filter and dispenser assembly configured to be removablyengaged and disengaged with the water outlet of the appliance by handwithout the use of tools by rotating the removable and integral waterfilter and dispenser about an axis of rotation or through a curvilinearpathway including: a housing having side walls, a top and a bottomdefining an interior volume; a water dispensing outlet engagement systemthat fluidly engages the removable integral water filter and dispenserassembly and the water dispensing outlet in a fluid tight manner andconfigured to allow water received from the water outlet of theappliance into engagement with a water treatment media spaced within theinterior volume of the housing wherein the water treatment mediacomprises at least one water treatment media chosen from the groupconsisting of: activated carbon particles, mesoporous activated carbon,activated carbon powder, particles sintered with a plastic binder,carbon particles coated with a silver containing material, a block ofporous carbon, ion exchange material, resin beads, flat filtrationmembranes, fibrous filtration structures, zeolite particles or coatings,polyethylene, charged-modified glass webs, melt blown glass webs,microfiber glass webs, alumina, an aluminosilicate material, and adiatomaceous earth; and a downwardly extending treated water dispensingoutlet integral with the bottom of the housing and configured to deliverwater treated by the at least one water treatment media for use orconsumption.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is an elevated front schematic view of a side by siderefrigerator and freezer system of the prior art having water filterpositioned in the bottom left grill portion;

FIG. 2 is an elevated front schematic view of a side by siderefrigerator and freezer system of the prior art having a filterpositioned in the upper right interior of the appliance;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of a water and ice dispenser ofan appliance showing an (integrated) water filter and dispenser assemblyof an aspect of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of an (integrated) water filterand dispenser assembly;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of a water and ice dispenser ofan appliance showing a water filter system of an aspect of the presentinvention;

FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of an (integrated) water filterand dispenser assembly;

FIG. 7A is an elevated cross-sectional view of a water dispenser of FIG.3 with the (integrated) water filter and dispenser assembly andpositioned below the ceiling of the dispensing area of the appliance;

FIG. 7B is an elevated cross-sectional view of a water dispenser of FIG.3 with the (integrated) water filter and dispenser assembly andpositioned above or level with the ceiling of the dispensing area of theappliance;

FIG. 8 is an elevated front schematic view showing an (integrated) waterfilter and dispenser assembly engaged with the fluid conduit outlet ofthe dispenser;

FIG. 9 is a side schematic view showing the general flow path of waterthrough the filter shown in FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view showing the filter of FIG. 8;

FIG. 11 is an elevated side view of the filter of FIG. 8;

FIG. 12 is an exploded perspective view of a (integrated) water filterand dispenser assembly according to another aspect of the presentinvention;

FIG. 12A is an elevated side schematic view showing the general flowpath of water through the filter of FIG. 12;

FIG. 13 is top cross-sectional view of the (integrated) water filter anddispenser assembly of FIG. 12 taken along line XIII-XIII;

FIG. 14 is a bottom view of the (integrated) water filter and dispenserassembly of FIG. 12;

FIG. 15A is an elevated cross-sectional view of another (integrated)water filter and dispenser assembly with external threading on the topof the (integrated) water filter and dispenser assembly to engage thewater outlet of the appliance;

FIG. 15B is an elevated cross-sectional view of another (integrated)water filter and dispenser assembly with external threading on the topof the water filter and dispenser system to engage the water outlet ofthe appliance;

FIG. 16 is an elevated schematic view of another (integrated) waterfilter and dispenser assembly;

FIG. 17 is an exploded perspective view of the (integrated) water filterand dispenser assembly of FIG. 16;

FIG. 18 is a perspective view of another (integrated) water filter anddispenser assembly;

FIG. 19 is an exploded view of the (integrated) water filter anddispenser assembly of FIG. 18; and

FIGS. 20A-C are perspective views of certain stages of theremoval/insertion of the (integrated) water filter and dispenserassembly of FIG. 18.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Before the subject invention is described further, it is to beunderstood that the invention is not limited to the particularembodiments of the invention described below, as variations of theparticular embodiments may be made and still fall within the scope ofthe appended claims. It is also to be understood that the terminologyemployed is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments, and isnot intended to be limiting. Instead, the scope of the present inventionwill be established by the appended claims.

Where a range of values is provided, it is understood that eachintervening value, to the tenth of the unit of the lower limit unlessthe context clearly dictates otherwise, between the upper and lowerlimit of that range, and any other stated or intervening value in thatstated range, is encompassed within the invention. The upper and lowerlimits of these smaller ranges may independently be included in thesmaller ranges, and are also encompassed within the invention, subjectto any specifically excluded limit in the stated range. Where the statedrange includes one or both of the limits, ranges excluding either orboth of those included limits are also included in the invention. Inthis specification and the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an”and “the” include plural reference unless the context clearly dictatesotherwise.

As shown in FIGS. 3-20C, the present invention is generally directedtoward periodically replaceable, integrated water filter and dispenserassemblies 20. The water filter and dispenser assemblies 20 typicallycontain a funnel shaped bottom portion 22. In addition, the water filterand dispenser assemblies 20 have a water dispensing outlet 24. The waterfilter and dispenser assemblies are configured to treat water anddispense treated water out of the water dispensing outlet 24 and thewater leaving the outlet 24 does not travel through further appliancewater conduits. Instead, the water filter and dispenser assembly areboth replaced each time the assembly is replaced ensuring aself-disinfecting feature.

As shown in FIG. 3, the water filter and dispenser assembly is engagedto the ceiling portion 26 of the water and ice dispenser 28, which istypically a recessed portion in a front door of the appliance. Typicallythe dispenser is positioned on the front of the door that allows accessto the freezer compartment, but conceivably the dispenser 28 could belocated on the front surface of the front of the door that allows accessto the fresh food compartment. Typically, the dispenser has a pluralityof user actuated inputs, which can be paddles, a touch screen thatinteracts with a controller, or, as shown in FIG. 3, one or more useractivated buttons 30.

The water filter and dispenser assemblies also contain a water treatmentmedium 32. The water treatment medium 32 contained in individualcartridges may also be chosen from the group consisting of: carbon(e.g., activated carbon particles, such as mesoporous activated carbon,carbon powder, particles sintered with a plastic binder, carbonparticles coated with a silver containing material, or a block of porouscarbon); an activated carbon particle with alumninosilicate bonded withtitanium dioxide and nanoparticulate zinc oxide ion exchange material(e.g., resin beads, flat filtration membranes, fibrous filtrationstructures, etc.); zeolite particles or coatings (e.g., silver loaded);polyethylene; charged-modified, melt-blown, or microfiber glass webs;alumina; aluminosilicate material; and diatomaceous earth. The watertreatment medium 32 may also be impregnated or otherwise disposed on aporous support substrate, such as a fabric material, a paper material, apolymer screen, or other conceivable porous structures that may becontained in the individual cartridges, which in some instances may beconfigured to allow the fluid to flow across the support substrate andnot through the support substrate. The treatment medium 32 is typicallyan activated carbon particle with alumninosilicate bonded with titaniumdioxide and nanoparticulate zinc oxide or a molded, formed or extrudedactivated carbon with aluminosilicate such as available from SelectoScientific of Suwanee, Ga. or fibrillated adsorbent cellulose technology(FACT) from KX Industries of West Haven, Conn. The FACT media is madeusing various adsorbents immobilized by fibrillated nanofibers. Themedia is produced in a wet laid process yielding an extremely uniformmedia, where high percentages of very small adsorbents can beimmobilized down to 1 micron average particle size efficiently. Thesmaller fibers produce a larger relative pore area for a given poresize. This results in a structure with a lower overall pressure drop anda high dirt and other particulate capacity. The FACT fibers can be assmall as 50 nanometers in diameter. The water treatment media may reducechloramines by at least about 80% compared to the municipal waterinitially received by the appliance. The water media typically alsoreduces bacteria by log 4 or more and reduces algae from about 50% toabout 80% while maintaining a water flow through the water treatmentmedia at a rate of at least 1 liter per minute.

As shown in FIG. 4, the water treatment medium 32 is positionedtypically within an upper portion 34 of the water filter and dispenserassemblies 20 of the present invention. The upper portion 34, as shownin FIGS. 3-4 may be engaged to the water dispenser 28 using a matingbracket 36 that may engaged within an element or elements within theappliance or to the ceiling 26 of the dispenser 28. As shown in FIG. 4,the bracket 36 has a central aperture 38 that is typically shaped tomatingly receive at least a portion of the upper portion 34 of the waterfilter and dispenser assembly 20. The central aperture 38 of the matingbracket 36 receives water from an appliance water conduit and typicallyaligns with a central aperture of the water filter and dispenserassembly to deliver water to the interior of the water filter anddispenser assembly and into contact with the water treatment medium.

As also shown in FIG. 4, the mating bracket 36 has appliance engagementmembers 42, which, in the aspect shown in FIG. 4, are two snap-fittingbars that snap into engagement with grooves in a surface of a componentof the appliance, which is typically positioned recessed in theappliance proximate the water dispenser ceiling 26 or in the waterdispensing ceiling itself. The bracket 36 shown in FIG. 4 also containsopposed curved grooves 44 on its side surface that matingly receive andengage laterally outwardly extending mounting pegs 46. The water filterand dispenser assembly 20 engages the bracket 36 by insertion of thepegs 46 and rotation of the assembly 20 into full engagement with thegrooves 44, as shown by the arrow in FIG. 4.

An alternative embodiment of a water filter and dispenser assemblysimilar to the embodiment of FIGS. 3-4 is shown in FIGS. 5-6. The waterfilter and dispenser assembly of FIGS. 5-6 has some additional anddifferent features. In the water filter and dispenser assembly of FIGS.5-6 the mating bracket 36 does not contain grooves to receive pegs andthe filter and dispenser assembly does not contain laterally extendingpegs. Instead, the water filter and dispenser assembly 20 has externalthreads 48 that mate with internal threads 50 on the interior surface ofthe mounting bracket 36. Additionally, the funnel shaped bottom portion22 may contain wings 52 that oppose one another and facilitate rotationof the water filter and dispenser assembly 20 into engagement and out ofengagement with the bracket 36 by supplying a more easily graspedsurface for rotation of the assembly by hand and without the use oftools by the installer or owner of the appliance. While shown only inFIGS. 4-5, these same wings 52 might be employed in other aspects of theinvention where rotation is desired such as the device of FIGS. 3-4.

FIGS. 7A and 7B show a side view of the device of FIGS. 3-4 installedinto engagement with the appliance 10. As shown in FIG. 7A, the waterfilter and dispensing assembly 20 may be mounted into engagement withthe ceiling 26 of the water dispenser 28. As shown in FIG. 7B, the waterfilter and dispensing assembly 20 may be mounted into engagement withthe appliance at a location above the ceiling 26 and inside theappliance housing such that less of the assembly is visible and a moretraditional aesthetic appearance results.

Another integral water filter and dispenser assembly of the presentinvention is shown in FIGS. 8-11. The water filter and dispenserassembly shown in FIGS. 8-11, typically has a cylindrical shaped watertreatment medium 32 that is typically sized to matingly engage theinterior volume of the upper portion 34 of the assembly 20 the watertreatment medium is typically adhered to the housing using an adhesive,typically a hot melt adhesive, to seal against by-pass flow. The waterfilter and dispenser assembly 20 is pushed onto an existing water outletof the appliance using a force fit and one, two or more internal O-rings54. The water filter and dispenser assembly 20 of FIGS. 8-11 may or maynot have a funnel portion despite the fact that a funnel portionchanneling treated water that passes through the water treatment mediumis not shown in FIGS. 8-11. The assembly 20 of FIG. 8-11 typically has atop collar portion 56 that has the O-ring(s) 54 on the interior surface.The top collar portion 56 matingly engages the appliance water conduit37 and a compression nut 58 or other fastener. The water enters thewater filter and dispensing assembly 20 through the aperture encompassedby the top collar portion 56 and water passes through the watertreatment medium 32 and out the outlet 24.

Another integral water filter and dispenser assembly of the presentinvention is shown in FIGS. 12-14 that has the same general exteriorshape as the assembly of FIGS. 8-11 and is also engaged by push fittinginto position and engaging a fastener such as a compression nut. Waterflows into the center aperture 60 of the water treatment medium, whichtypically has a folded texture (toothed cross-section) that has a solidbase portion 62. The water encounters the solid base portion 62 forcingwater to flow laterally from the inside of the water treatment medium 60outward in a typically substantially radially manner to peripheral waterflow channels 64. The peripheral water flow channels 64 allow treatedwater to flow to the outlet 24 where the treated water is immediatelydispensed to the user without traveling through further internalappliance conduits.

The device of FIGS. 12-14, the water treatment medium is not adhesivelyheld with a hot melt adhesive to seal against by-pass flow. Instead theentire bottom portion or at least substantially all of the bottomportion including the center are sealed against water flow. The waterfilter and dispensing assembly 20 typically has a plurality of spacedapart radially extending water treatment medium supports 65 that holdthe water treatment medium in a position above the outlet 24.

Another integral water filter and dispenser assembly of the presentinvention is shown in FIGS. 15A-B. FIGS. 15A-B show a cartridge stylefilter adhered typically using a hot melt adhesive into a housing 66.The housing 66 is pushed onto existing spigot using a force fit and atleast one O-ring to seal and a compression nut or other fastener used toengage the cartridge into place. Alternatively, self tapping threads onthe interior (FIG. 15B) or exterior (FIG. 15A) may matingly engagethreads on the water conduit 37. Water flows from the water conduit 37into the housing 66. The top of the water treatment medium is typicallysealed such that water flows to the circumferential exterior space 68,through the water treatment medium inward to a central channel 70 thatdelivers water to the outlet 24.

Another integral water filter and dispenser assembly of the presentinvention is shown in FIGS. 16-17. The cartridge of FIGS. 16-17 issimilar to the cartridge of FIGS. 15A-B and water flows from thecircumferential exterior space 68 inwardly through the water treatmentmedium 32 and into the central channel 70 that delivers the treatedwater to the outlet 24. The cartridge typically includes a cap 72 toforce the water axially outward to the circumferential exterior space68. As discussed above, the water then is forced inward and treated. Toinstall the filter cartridge, the entire assembly 20 is inserted intothe interior volume of the appliance water conduit 37, typicallyproximate the dispenser, and a self threading dispenser bottom 74. Theself threading dispenser engages the conduit 37 and holds the cartridgein place and seals against leakage.

Another integral water filter and dispenser of the present invention isshown in FIGS. 18-20C. The water filter and dispenser assembly 20 ofFIGS. 18-20C is typically a rectangular prism shaped housing 80. Thehousing 80 typically has six sides where one of the sides extendsfurther than the others to create a perimeter flange 82. The oppositeside surface 84 of the perimeter flange 82 typically is of the samecolor as the exterior of the appliance or a complimentary color suchthat when installed as shown in FIG. 20A, the filter is aestheticallywell received by the user. The assembly 20, when installed is typicallyflush with the appliance outer wall. The water treatment medium 32 isspaced within the interior volume of the water filter and dispenserassembly 20 and a top section 85 with an appliance conduit engagingfilter inlet 86. At least one side wall typically has snap fitattachment members 88, which can be pegs as shown or other similarconstruction. As with the other integral water filter and dispenserassemblies of the present invention, the assembly 20 may be engaged anddisengaged with the appliance by hand by a user without the use oftools. As shown in FIGS. 20A-C, the (integrated) water filter anddispenser assembly 20 can be rotated into and out of engagement with theappliance to supply filter functionality and also replace the wateroutlet along with each filter replacement. Typically, the water filterand dispenser assembly is removed by grouping the water filter anddispenser assembly and applying a generally downward force until theassembly disengages. It is typically engaged by following the oppositecourse and applying a force by hand and rotating to engage the waterfilter and dispenser assembly, typically a snap fit connection. In thismanner, with each filter replacement made by a user, the outlet isinherently disinfected, because it is replaced along with the waterfilter portion. A more sanitary and bacterial resistant system isprovided by the present invention because the water dispenser isreplaced along with the filter housing and water treatment medium and,instead of removing water treatment and sanitizing components from waterand passing filtered water through conduits to the dispenser, the watertreatment and sanitizing components such as chlorine are allow to remainin the water until the water reaches is dispensing location or where thewater is to be filtered and used by the appliance. Conceivably thissystem could be used in connection with a replaceable filter at thewater inlet to an ice maker.

It is to be understood that variations and modifications can be made onthe aforementioned structure without departing from the concepts of thepresent invention, and further it is to be understood that such conceptsare intended to be covered by the following claims unless these claimsby their language expressly state otherwise.

The invention claimed is:
 1. An appliance comprising: a water sourceinlet that receives intake water from a water source and a water outletproximate a water dispensing location of the appliance in fluidcommunication with one another via one or more water conduits spacedwithin the appliance; a removable water filter and dispenser assemblyconfigured to be removably engaged and disengaged with the water outletof the appliance by hand without the use of tools, the removable waterfilter and dispenser assembly including: a housing having at least oneside wall and a bottom defining an interior volume; and a treated waterdispensing outlet configured to deliver water treated by the at leastone water treatment medium for use or consumption, wherein treated waterleaving the dispenser is free of engagement with an additional applianceliquid-water conduit; and a water outlet engagement system that fluidlyengages the removable water filter and dispenser assembly and the wateroutlet in a fluid tight manner and configured to allow water receivedfrom the water outlet into engagement with one or more water treatmentmedium disposed within the interior volume of the housing.
 2. Theappliance of claim 1, wherein the water dispensing location is on a doorof the appliance and wherein the removable water filter and dispenserassembly is an integrated water filter and dispenser assembly.
 3. Theappliance of claim 1, wherein the treated water outlet of the applianceis connected with a water source inlet positioned on a top surface ofthe housing at the water outlet engagement system and wherein the watermanagement system is configured such that water leaving the treateddispensing outlet does not travel through further appliance waterconduits before being dispensed.
 4. The appliance of claim 1, whereinthe housing further comprises an upwardly extending collarcircumferentially spaced about a water receiving aperture in the top ofthe housing wherein the collar is configured to sealingly engage thetreated water dispenser to the water outlet of the appliance.
 5. Theappliance of claim 1, wherein the at least one water treatment medium isone or more medium chosen from a group consisting of: activated carbonparticles, an activated carbon particle with aluminosilicate bonded withtitanium dioxide and nanoparticulate zinc oxide mesoporous activatedcarbon, carbon powder, particles sintered with a plastic binder, carbonparticles coated with a silver containing material, a block of porouscarbon, ion exchange material, resin beads, flat filtration membranes,fibrous filtration structures, zeolite particles or coatings,polyethylene, charged-modified glass webs, melt blown glass webs,microfiber glass webs, alumina, an aluminosilicate material, and adiatomaceous earth.
 6. The appliance of claim 1, wherein the at leastone water treatment medium is fully contained within the interior volumeof the housing.
 7. The appliance of claim 4, wherein the upwardlyextending collar has at least one O-ring engaged to a surface of thecollar and wherein a fitting engages the surface of the collar proximatethe O-ring to fasten the collar to the water dispensing outlet of theappliance.
 8. The appliance of claim 4, wherein the water outlet of theappliance has threads on the water outlet of the appliance that matinglyengage threads on a surface of the collar.
 9. The appliance of claim 1,wherein the appliance further comprises a mounting bracket that is aseparate component from the appliance and that is operably engaged tothe appliance, wherein the mounting bracket includes a mechanism toengage the housing of the removable water filter and dispenser assemblyvia an internal or external threading defined within the mountingbracket that cooperates with a portion of the housing, and wherein thetreated water dispensing outlet is defined within the bottom of thehousing.
 10. The appliance of claim 1, wherein the water dispensinglocation is proximate an ice maker of the appliance.
 11. A removable andintegral water filter and dispenser assembly configured to be removablyengaged and disengaged with a water outlet of an appliance by handwithout the use of tools comprising: a housing having at least one sidewall and a bottom defining an interior volume; a water dispensing outletengagement system that fluidly engages the removable integral waterfilter and dispenser assembly and the water dispensing outlet in a fluidtight manner and configured to allow water received from the wateroutlet of the appliance into engagement with at least one watertreatment medium spaced at least partially within the interior volume ofthe housing; and a downwardly extending treated water dispensing outletintegral with the bottom of the housing and configured to deliver watertreated by the at least one water treatment medium for use orconsumption, wherein water delivered from the treated water dispensingoutlet is free of a further appliance liquid-water conduit.
 12. Theremovable and integral water filter and dispenser assembly of claim 11,wherein the water treatment medium is fully contained in the interiorvolume of the housing.
 13. The removable and integral water filter anddispenser assembly of claim 11, wherein a peripheral edge of the watertreatment medium is pleated, and wherein when the water dispensingoutlet engagement system fluidly engages the removable integral waterfilter and dispenser assembly and the water dispensing outlet in a fluidtight manner, the peripheral edge of the water treatment medium extendsat least partially into the water dispensing outlet.
 14. The removableand integral water filter and dispenser assembly of claim 11, whereinthe housing is threadably engaged with the water dispensing outlet. 15.A method of filtering water being dispensed from an appliance andperiodically replacing a water filter of the appliance and a waterdispensing outlet of the appliance comprising steps of: installing afirst removable water filter and dispenser assembly into fluidengagement with a water outlet of an appliance proximate a waterdispensing location of the appliance by hand without the use of toolscomprising: a housing having at least one side wall and a bottomdefining an interior volume; a water outlet engagement system thatfluidly engages the first removable water filter and dispenser assemblyand the water outlet in a fluid tight manner and configured to allowwater received from the water outlet into engagement with one or morewater treatment medium disposed at least partially within the interiorvolume of the housing; and a treated water dispensing outlet; filteringand dispensing water of the appliance through the treated waterdispensing outlet, and directly to a user for consumption, for a periodof time using the first removable water filter and dispenser assembly,wherein water delivered from the treated water dispensing outlet is freeof a further appliance liquid-water conduit; disengaging the firstremovable water filter and dispenser assembly, which includes thetreated water dispensing outlet, by hand and without the use of tools;and installing a second removable water filter and dispenser assemblyinto fluid engagement with the water outlet of the appliance proximate awater dispensing location on a door of the appliance by hand without theuse of tools wherein the second removable water filter and dispenserassembly comprises: a second housing having at least one side wall and abottom defining an interior volume; a second water outlet engagementsystem that fluidly engages the second removable integral water filterand dispenser assembly and the water outlet in a fluid tight manner andconfigured to allow water received from the water outlet into engagementwith one or more water treatment medium disposed at least partiallywithin the interior volume of the second housing; and a second treatedwater dispensing outlet.
 16. The method of claim 15, wherein the waterdispensing location is on a door of the appliance and wherein the firstremovable water filter and dispenser assembly and the second removablewater filter and dispenser assembly are each an integrated, removablewater filter and dispenser assembly.
 17. The method of claim 15, whereinthe steps of installing and replacing the first and second removablewater filter and dispenser assemblies are entirely done by hand andwithout the use of tools by manipulating the first and second removablewater filter and dispenser assemblies between an engaged position and adisengaged position.
 18. The method of claim 15, wherein the one or morewater treatment medium comprises at least one water treatment mediumchosen from a group consisting of: activated carbon particles,mesoporous activated carbon, activated carbon powder, particles sinteredwith a plastic binder, carbon particles coated with a silver containingmaterial, a block of porous carbon, ion exchange material, resin beads,flat filtration membranes, fibrous filtration structures, zeoliteparticles or coatings, polyethylene, charged-modified glass webs, meltblown glass webs, microfiber glass webs, alumina, an aluminosilicatematerial, and a diatomaceous earth.
 19. The method of claim 15, whereinthe one or more water treatment medium is a combination of watertreatment medium and includes at least an aluminosilicate and anactivated carbon material and wherein the method further comprisesdisposing of the first removable water filter and dispenser assembly.20. The method of claim 15, wherein the one or more water treatmentmedium is fully contained in the interior volume of the housing andsecond housing, respectively.